Seven Pro-Marijuana Bills Introduced Thursday in Congress

A bi-partisan group of lawmakers announced a total of seven pro-cannabis bills on Thursday (four in the House and three in the Senate). Sponsors included longtime cannabis supporters like Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), more recent converts like Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) and those new to our cause like Rep. Carlos Curbelo (R-FL).

The following two bills were introduced in both the House and the Senate: The Small Business Tax Equity Act of 2017, which would allow state-legal cannabis businesses to take the same deductions as any other business. The Responsibly Addressing the Marijuana Policy Gap (RAMP) Act covers a broad range of issues at the federal level, including banking and tax fairness for businesses, civil forfeiture, and drug testing for federal employees.

In addition, The Marijuana Revenue and Regulation Act, which would create a federal tax on cannabis, was introduced in the Senate. The house broke the taxation piece into two bills, The Marijuana Revenue and Regulation Act and The Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol Act.

Taken together, these laws create a legitimate pathway to legalization. Whether or not they pass remains to be seen, but this is the first time we have seen such a comprehensive package of bills introduced in both houses of Congress. We are also seeing more bi-partisan support, with at least one Republican co-sponsor so far.

Pure Green is incredibly proud that our Senator and Congressman are leading the charge here. We hope some or all of these bills pass. But even if they don’t pass this round, the arrow of time is pointing squarely in the direction of legalization.